Pico Peak, at 3,957 feet, is the northernmost summit of the Coolidge Range in Vermont's Green Mountains, rising directly above Sherburne Pass across from Deer Leap Mountain. Seen from the pass, the summit forms a clean cone. The peak has a notable ski history: Pico Mountain ski area opened in 1937 and installed the first T-bar lift in the United States in 1940, later becoming part of Killington Resort.
The main hiking route, the Sherburne Pass Trail, heads south from US Route 4 through hardwood forest before steepening into switchbacks as the trees shift to spruce and fir. At roughly 2.5 miles the trail reaches Pico Camp shelter, where the 0.4-mile Pico Link Trail branches steeply to the summit. The round trip covers about 5.5 miles with 1,800 feet of gain. Those wanting more can continue on the Long Trail to Killington, extending the day to roughly 11.5 miles and close to 3,000 feet of gain.
Ski lifts, a patrol lodge, and communications equipment crowd the summit, but a blue-blazed rock marks the true high point. Snow lingers on upper slopes into May, and the exposed terrain near the top can be icy in early spring and late fall.
